Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 9: As a sequel to the consensus reached between the coalition partners — Congress and National Conference (NC) over the incorporation of provisions of 73rd Amendment in the State Panchayati Raj Act, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today directed the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar to prepare a detailed memorandum and place the same before State Cabinet in its next meeting for final decision.
Mr Omar passed the direction to Mr Sagar during the Cabinet meeting held at Civil Secretariat here this evening, reliable sources told EXCELSIOR. While raising the issue, Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmed Mir said that since broad consensus on the inclusion of provisions of 73rd Amendment has already been reached between the two Coalition partners after series of Coordination Committee meetings there was no justification behind delaying the further process.
“I think instead of keeping this vital issue in back-burner we must go ahead and give practical shape to the decisions taken in the Coordination Committee meetings”, sources said quoting Tourism Minister’s point of view made in the Cabinet meeting. Several other Cabinet Ministers endorsed the stand taken by Mr Mir and made an appeal to the Chief Minister for taking appropriate step.
Keeping in view the concern expressed by his Cabinet colleagues, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah directed the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar to prepare a detailed memorandum based on the consensus arrived on the incorporation of provisions of the 73rd Amendment in the State Panchayati Raj Act and place the same before the Cabinet in its next meeting, sources said.
“Following the Cabinet decision, the State Legislature will be approached for carrying out amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act of State”, sources said.
According to the sources, there is complete unanimity among the coalition partners over the incorporation of 73rd Amendment provisions pertaining to granting constitutional guarantee to Panchayats on completion of five years term followed by elections after every five years, financial and administrative powers including control over development and 14 identified departments, setting up of separate Finance Commission and Election Commission for the Panchayats, reservation in second and third tier of Panchayats for SC/STs and women i.e. BDCs and District Development and Planning Boards (DDPB), security to Panchayat members and providing emoluments to Panchayat members and to BDC and DDPB.
Sources said that both the Coalition partners have also agreed to amend the provisions pertaining to removal of Sarpanch, membership of Marketing Societies, status of Chairmen of BDC, financial powers of Panchayats and provision of separate ombudsman for Panchayats.
It is pertinent to mention here that State Cabinet in May this year had put in abeyance the report of the Government Committee constituted to recommend amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989. The decision was taken after Congress Ministers met the Chief Minister and apprised him of their reservations on the report.
Subsequently, the JKPCC chief, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz conveyed in writing to the Chief Minister that the amendments proposed by the Government Committee felt short of the expectation of the Congress party.
However, after series of Coordination Committee meetings, both the Coalition partners arrived at consensus on several provisions of the 73rd Amendment.
In the Cabinet meeting, concern was also expressed over delay in grant of nod to the Jammu Gandola project by the State Forest Advisory Committee and it was stressed that the same should be expedited especially in the light of clearance given by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Cabinet accorded sanction to the inclusion of 45 villages of different districts in the list of backward areas in view of the recommendations of J&K Commission for Backward Classes.
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